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stipulation and advised that the parties should establish contact
for this purpose.
In an effort to prepare this case for trial, respondent made
several attempts through letters and telephone calls to arrange
to meet with petitioner to prepare a stipulation of facts and
otherwise define the issues. Petitioner spoke to respondent’s
counsel once before trial but did not exchange documents or
endeavor to prepare a stipulation of facts. On March 6, 2003,
petitioner requested a continuance by means of a letter sent to
the Clerk of the Court but at the address of the Federal Building
and Courthouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the letter
petitioner made reference to his trial date of April 7, 2003, and
advised:
At this time I am asking for a continuance due to a
family medical problem (Pneumonia). My mother has been
sick for awhile and family physician thought it would
[sic] a good thing for her to visit relatives in
Florida. She has been their [sic] for about two months
and has been doing well. I will be flying down to
drive her home and will not be able to appear.
On March 12, 2003, petitioner’s letter was returned to him by the
Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
Indiana, who indicated that petitioner had sent his
correspondence to the wrong court. On March 31, 2003, this Court
received a letter dated March 22, 2003, from petitioner in which
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